The present invention relates to an integrated USB control panel for a medical diagnosis system and a medical diagnosis system using the same. Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment is one of the three main imaging equipments in a hospital. As a human-computer interface device for an ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, a control panel comprises universal alphanumeric keys, adjustment potentiometer for adjusting TGC (TGC Sliders), an encoder for adjusting gains or menu knobs, a trackball for moving cursors, and function keys (for example, a Cineloop) specific to an ultrasonic equipment, as well as a backlight control means for a control panel. Compared with universal PCs in terms of functions, the alphanumeric keys are similar to PC keyboards, the trackball is similar to a PC mouse, while all the other means are ultrasound specific input devices.
In the configurations of existing products commercial available, a microcontroller unit (MCU) and a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD) are utilized to control the operation of the inside circuit of a board, and its communication with an upper computer is carried out via a RS232 interface. With the rapid development in capability of PCs, the upper computer is gradually replaced by an x86 industrial control board. During transition of the configurations, the control panel with the RS232 interface suffers from such a dilemma that a basic input/output system (BIOS) cannot be set upon startup of the x86.
To make the setting of the BIOS available, an usual solution in the prior art is to divide a control panel into a plurality of function modules, wherein the alphanumeric keyboard is replaced with a universal PC keyboard, for example, a PC keyboard utilizing a PS/2 or USB interface, and the other portions communicate via a RS232 interface, so as to meet requirements of the configuration with minimum modification.
However, the prior art is disadvantageous in two aspects as follows.
I. Since at least one RS232 serial interface line and one PS/2 line (or USB line) must be provide in the configuration of the prior art, interfaces with PC modules are increased. Meanwhile, the design of the medical diagnosis system is limited due to the fact that the alphanumeric keys are replaced with the universal PC keyboard whose shape and mechanical size may bring adverse influence on the design.II. As conventional serial/parallel interfaces are being replaced gradually by Universal Serial Buses (USBs), there is a trend that RS232 interfaces will be replaced by USB interfaces. For example, serial/parallel interfaces can no longer be supported in high-end industrial control modules, such as COM Express Modules of PIGMG Specification.